Vondeling

The wine world is constantly in a notorious state of disagreement and debate. From Bordeaux to Bellville, Dunedin to Durban and Margaret River to Mendoza a constant buzz of diverse opinion is heard as to who is drinking what wine, where and why. What styles and which grape varieties are set to rope in hordes of modern consumers, and from where should the world’s next gem of a wine region pop-up?

Having just returned from the christening ceremony of my Khoisan god-child, !Exmigarraki, I needed some civilisation. Not that the Khoisan do not have a civilisation of their own. But if you are not used to donning a leather loin-cloth, being smeared with the contents of a gemsbok gall-bladder and doing some humming and foot-stomping while inhaling the smoke of burning quiver tree leaves, it can all be a bit too native for my kind of comfort.

Putting on a brave face - Rijk and Kim Melck from Simonsberg with judge Neil Pendock.

In a week-end of international tragedies, culinary travesty hit the Stellenbosch Wine Region when the Simonsberg ward lost its annual Potjiekos Competition against the Paardeberg. Simonsberg, an established community inhabited by award-winning winemakers and a number of foodie personalities, were well and truly beaten by a Paardeberg team who were better in all aspects of Potjiekos making. Continue reading →